"And the cows took the straight way"
The meaning of this difficult scriptural passage is expounded by Rabbi Yosi. We learn that while they carried the Ark, the cows were able to sing - although this gift vanished as soon as they no longer performed this work. Rabbi Chiya explains that a psalm of David referring to a "new song," refers to a time when the psalm or Holy Spirit or Nukva - that is, our physical world, also known as Malchut - will glow with the light of the sun, which itself is a coded reference to the concept of the Messiah. It is after this that the Resurrection of the Dead takes place, a time when the world will be renewed and set free from Death's rule.
A cow is both a metaphor and physical expression of an intense Desire to Receive. In view of this, cows are seen as powerful tools for attracting spiritual energy. Thus, red meat is a recommended dish for the first meal of the Shabbat, since the internal energy of the meat serves to draw down the Light of the Creator. The Torah's parchment, which functions as an antenna to arouse metaphysical forces, is produced from the skin of a calf. The Zohar, therefore, uses the cow as a symbol for man's own insatiable Desire to Receive for the Self Alone - and the image of a singing cow reveals a creature rising above its inborn nature. This power emerged the moment the cows began transporting the Ark and the scrolls contained inside. Here the Zohar alludes to the Torah's ability to help overcome innate immoral tendencies and self-seeking desires. When mankind has completely removed all his Evil Inclinations, Death will be removed from the landscape of human existence. World peace and fulfillment will be eternally achieved, signified by the Zohar's reference to the light of the sun, which represents the Messiah. An ability to hasten a personal and global redemption is awarded to us by means of these verses and their corresponding spiritual influences. We remove the force of death from our lives. Bear in mind the fact that "death" can refer to the demise of a business, the end of an important relationship, or the collapse of our emotional well-being.
27. Rabbi Yosi began with the verse, "A psalm, O sing (Heb. shiru) to Hashem a new song; for He has done marvelous things, His right hand, and his holy arm have gained Him the victory" (Tehilim 98:1). The friends explained that this was said by cows, as it is written, "And the cows took the straight way (Heb. vayisharnah)" (I Shmuel 6:12). The word "vayisharnah" also means that they sang (Heb. sharu) a new song. What new song? "A psalm. O sing to Hashem a new song."
27. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי פְּתַח, מִזְמוֹר שִׁירוּ לַה' שִׁיר חָדָשׁ כִּי נִפְלָאוֹת עָשָׂה הוֹשִׁיעָה לוֹ יְמִינוֹ וּזְרוֹעַ קָדְשׁוֹ. הַאי קְרָא, אוֹקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָא, דְּפָרוֹת אֲמָרוּהָ. כְּמָה דִכְתִיב וַיִּשַּׁרְנָה הַפָּרוֹת בַּדֶּרֶךְ. מַאי וַיִּשַּׁרְנָה, דַּהֲווֹ אָמְרֵי שִׁירָתָא חַדְתָּא. וּמַאי שִׁירָה אָמְרוּ. מִזְמוֹר שִׁירוּ לַה' שִׁיר חָדָשׁ כִּי נִפְלָאוֹת עָשָׂה.
28. We should examine this verse carefully. Everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in the world offers praises and songs to Him, either above or below. If you thus say THAT THE COWS sang this song, it is assuredly so, for there is a deep secret here. When they carried the Ark, they sang, but once the Ark was taken from them, they again behaved like other cows in the world and did not sing. Surely, the Ark above them made them sing.
28. הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא, דְּכָל מַה דְּבָרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּעַלְמָא, כֻּלְּהוּ אָמְרֵי תּוּשְׁבְּחָן וְשִׁירָתָא קַמֵּיהּ, בֵּין לְעֵילָא בֵּין לְתַתָּא, וְאִי תֵימָא, דְּאִינְהוּ מִגַּרְמַיְיהוּ אָמְרֵי שִׁירָתָא דָא, הָכֵי הוּא וַדַּאי, דְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ, אֲבָל הַנֵּי, אֲרוֹנָא הֲוָה עַל גַּבַּיְיהוּ, וְכֵיוָן דַּאֲרוֹנָא אִשְׁתְּקֵיל עֲלַיְיהוּ, וְשַׁוְיוּהָ לְעֵילָא, אִינוּן שְׁרִירוּ שִׁירָתָא, דְּהָא כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְנְטֵיל מִנַּיְיהוּ אֲרוֹנָא, הֲווֹ גָעָאן, כְּאוֹרַח שְׁאָר פָּרוֹת דְּעַלְמָא, וְלָא אֲמָרוּ שִׁירָתָא, וַדַּאי אֲרוֹנָא דְּעַל גַּבַּיְיהוּ עָבֵיד לוֹן לְזַמָּרָא.
29. IT IS WRITTEN, "A psalm" unlike other places, where it is written, 'A psalm of David' or 'David's psalm.' Here David is not mentioned at all, just "a psalm." This is because the Holy Spirit is destined to sing it, when the Holy One, blessed be He, raises Yisrael from the dust. THEREFORE, DAVID IS NOT MENTIONED HERE. Then "O sing to Hashem a new song," for this is a new song that has not been sung since the world was created.
29. מִזְמוֹר. הָא אוֹקִימְנָא וְאִתְּמָר בְּכֹלָּא כְּתִיב, מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד, אוֹ לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר, וְהָכָא לָא אֲמַר דָּוִד כְּלָל, אֶלָּא מִזְמוֹר. דְּרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא, זַמִּין לְזַמְּרָא לֵיהּ לְזִמְנָא דְיוֹקִים קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעַפְרָא, וּכְדֵין שִׁירוּ לַה' שִׁיר חָדָשׁ, כְּדֵין אִיהוּ חָדָשׁ, דְּהָא שִׁירָתָא כְּהַאי, לָא אִתְּמָר מִיּוֹמָּא דְאִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא.
30. Rabbi Chiya said that it is written, "There is nothing new under the sun" (Kohelet 1:9), but lo, this song is new and under the sun, for it will be under the sun. What is this NEW SONG? It is the moon, WHICH IS THE NUKVA. For then the moon will be new under the sun, MEANING THAT ITS LIGHT WILL BECOME AGAIN LIKE THE LIGHT OF THE SUN, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. What is meant by the phrase, "IT WILL BE NEW UNDER THE SUN?" IT IS THE MEANING OF THE VERSE, "For He has done marvelous things." What are these marvelous things? They are "His right hand, and His holy arm have gained Him the victory." THIS IS THE SECRET OF HIS RIGHT AND LEFT HANDS, CHESED AND GVURAH, "have gained Him the victory." For whom did they gain victory? For the grade that sang this song, THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHICH IS THE NUKVA. THE NUKVA was supported by right and left, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "HAVE GAINED HIM THE VICTORY." Therefore "His right hand...gained Him victory," the grade called psalm, NAMELY THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHICH IS THE NUKVA, WHOSE LIGHT WILL BE AS THE LIGHT OF THE SUN. When will that be? When the dead of the world rise from the dust, then what has not yet been done in the world will be new.
30. אָמַר רָבִּי חִיָּיא, כְּתִיב אֵין כָּל חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ. וְהָכָא שִׁירָתָא דָא, אִיהִי חָדָשׁ, וְאִיהִי תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, דְּהָא תְּחוֹת שִׁמְשָׁא לֶהֱוֵי, וּמַאי אִיהוּ, דָּא סִיהֲרָא, וּכְדֵין הֲוֵי חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ. מַאי טַעְמָא, בְּגִין כִּי נִפְלָאוֹת עָשָׂה. וּמַאן אִינוּן נִפְלָאוֹת, הַאי דִכְתִיב הוֹשִׁיעָה לוֹ יְמִינוֹ וּזְרוֹעַ קָדְשׁוֹ. הוֹשִׁיעָה לוֹ, לְמַאן לְהַהוּא דַרְגָּא, דַּאֲמַר שִׁירָתָא דָא, בְּגִין דִּבְהוֹ אִסְתַּמֵּיךְ בִּימִינָא וּבִשְׂמָאלָא. הוֹשִׁיעָה לוֹ יְמִינוֹ וַדַּאי, לְהַהוּא דַרְגָּא, דְּהַאי מִזְמוֹר, אֵימָתַי, בְּזִמְנָא דִּיקוּמוּן מֵתֵי עַלְמָא, וְיִתְעָרוּן מֵעַפְרָא, כְּדֵין יְהֵא חָדָשׁ, מַה דְּלָא אִתְעֲבֵיד בְּהַאי עָלְמָא.
31. Rabbi Yosi said, When the Holy One, blessed be He, takes revenge on the world for Yisrael, He will sing this new song, NAMELY AT THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH, WHICH IS NOT THE TIME OF RESURRECTION. For after THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH, the dead of the world will rise from the dust and the world will be completely renewed. It will be different in that death will not rule the world, as it had since the serpent brought death to all, defiled the world, and darkened the faces of men.
31. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אֲמַר, בְּזִמְנָא דְּיַעֲבֵיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נוּקְמִין בְּעָלְמָא, בְּגִינַיְיהוּ דְיִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּדֵין יִתְאֲמַר שִׁירָתָא, דְּהָא לְבָתַר יִתְעָרוּן מֵעַפְרָא מֵתֵי עַלְמָא, וְיִתְחַדֵּשׁ עַלְמָא, בְּקִיּוּם שְׁלִים, דְּלָא לֶיהֱוֵי כְּקַדְמֵיתָא דְּשַׁלִּיט מוֹתָא בְּעַלְמָא בְּגִין דְּחִוְיָא גָּרֵים מוֹתָא בְּעַלְמָא לְכֹלָּא, וְאִסְתָּאַב עַלְמָא, וְאִתְחֲשֵׁיךְ אַנְפּוֹי.